“Historically, Yakshagana was performed throughout Karnataka. It began as a singing art form and slowly transformed over the years when more artistes and characters were added, instruments were added, and it became an entire story telling performance. It received Rajashreya or patronage from the kings of Mysore, the Vijaynagara Kingdom and others. However, once patronage decreased the art form slowly dried up in the rest of the land and now is only a coastal art form,” explains Prasad.

Women perform in non-professional settings, said Prasad with a hint of regret. “Today there are well known women artists such as Mayuri, Niharika and Amrita who perform and are also invited as added attractions in a performance.” One of the early all-women’s troupe was put together in 1989 by Poornima Rai, one of the pioneers of Mahila Yakshagana. “However, in temple troupes they are not welcome because of the usual reasons. There are more women who are learning Yakshagana these days however,” he ruminates!

What began as a folk art is garnering serious interest from younger people who want to learn it. Prasad teaches at Kathegaararu in Bangalore and he gets students from all over India who want to learn Yakshagana and perform.

Yakshagana is patronised by the temples of Dharmasthala, Katilu, Mandarati and more who have their own troupes. Devotees visiting the temples can offer Yakshagaana performances to the Gods as an offering. Earlier Yakshagana performances were all night long but now they begin in the evening and end by midnight.

One troupe presents a performance for 180 days at a stretch, that is six months. Each show costs at least INR One Lakh and these can be organized as offerings to deities in temples.  There are Yakshagana troupes as well who perform on invitations at home and on cultural occasions.

“These performances energize the spectators and the effects last for a week,” emphasizes Prasad.

I always feel that true art has the power to sustain itself by adapting and metamorphosing its process to suit the present milleu. As Prasad says, “I feel energised,” and Yacoob says, “Performing helps me in my writing work, removes stress and gives me immense joy.” The performing artistes are connected to the world of mythology, stories, music and dance and this connection gives them the energy to renew their lives and works towards social sustainability.

“Yakshagana has adapted itself in a similar way and today’s performances are often based on modern stories such as the movie Bahubali and Shakespeare’s play Macbeth,” says Prasad. “There was a Telugu film based on King Lear and a very popular Yakshagana Prasanga (episode) was based on it called as Papanna Vijayguna Sundari. Episodes based on A Midummer’s Night Dream and other novels have been made and lapped up by the audiences. Lots of experiments are on around Yakshagana, such as performances in English, Malayalam and Tulu.” 

Yacoob feels, “The performances can be likened to European opera which are full of song, dance and theatre.”